Tag Archives: Historic

A term heard often in paranormal field is The Stone Tape Theory. Term was first coined in a BBC film of the same name. What is this theory, is there anything to it? I am Researching this because the inquiring mind wants to know. This theory was first proposed in the 1970’s. Hypothesis was, that in times of high stress or high emotions could somehow help transfer memory to an inanimate object, and actual recording of the event. This energy would playback in a non-interactive way (a residual haunting).

Researcher Eleanor Mildred Sidgwick claimed objects could retain, record or absorb the “psychic energy” of a tragic event.

William G Roll, Parapsychologist and Professor at State University of West Georgia, agreed with this stone tape theory. Believing the mind can create apparitions from “psychic traces of the past” by their “psi field”. psi field is defined as subtle energy that unites the mind and body, a universal life force running between all things. Energy in Chinese medicine– Qi; in Indian Yoga–Prana or Kundalini energy is also described as an aura, rays, field, audible or tactile vibrations.

Barrett stated that certain cases were imprints or “echoes”somehow become “perceptible to those living”. He became interested in the paranormal in the 1860’s after an experience with Mesmerism (hypnosis). He hypothesized these echoes were thought transferences or“place memories”. Suggesting that hauntings are memories “lost” from an individuals mind, attaching itself to the environment, showing up and replaying back as hallucinations in sensitive people.

Barrett was a member of the Spiritualist movement and was said to be duped by a medium. later founding The Society of Psychical Research in 1882.

I have not found a reasonable explanation for this theory of stone taping. Some claim it is geological, iron oxide, or rust particles, with electromagnetic fields acting as a recording device changing a persons perception of what is seen. Others refer to the water memory theory (see Water, a Ghost Essential Element) and plate tectonics, an electromagnetic charge caused by quartz in earth that carries an electric charge from movement of a fault lines. Fascinating tales of phantoms, echoes and spirits all on the rocks. Cheers !

I know you like ghosts, but,do you like Civil War history? Do you like forts? How about a nice boat ride in Boston Harbor? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you need to check out Fort Warren. Its located on Georges Island at the entrance of Boston Harbor, which is operated by the Massachusetts Dept. of Conservation and Recreation.

Check out: http://www.bostonharborislands.org for more information and how to get there.

My wife and I go every year and end up finding something new every time. We haven’t seen the lady in black yet, but we have heard an eerie harmonica playing from a chimney located on top of the wall, way in the back of the fort. The Lady in Black is supposedly an apparition on George’s Island, a young woman in black robes that wanders about the grounds. She is believed to be Mrs. Andrew Lanier, wife of a Confederate soldier that was imprisoned there in 1861. Edward Rowe Snow, a 20th century local historian, had popularized the myth, and the following is his version of the story:

“Mrs. Lanier received a letter from her husband that he had been imprisoned at Fort Warren. She was compelled to free him, making an epic journey from Georgia to Hull, Massachusetts and the home of a Confederate sympathizer. Hull is only about a mile away from George’s Island. Mrs. Lanier systematically observed the fort with a spy-glass, and on a stormy night in January 1862, had rowed across to George’s Island and went ashore. She cut her hair short and dressed as a man, and brought with her an old pistol and small pick-axe. She made her way to the dungeon cells, and from outside the fort signaled to her husband by whistling an obscure southern tune, to which he signaled back. Mrs. Lanier was able to squeeze through the slit-window of his cell, and was then hidden by the Confederate soldiers. With the use of the pick-axe, the soldiers contrived to tunnel to the center of the fort, and then overtake the guards and obtain weapons. The tunnel took several weeks to dig, and on the eve of finishing the tunnel, a sharp blow of the pick had alerted a guard. The alarm was sounded, and the tunnel quickly discovered. As each of the Confederate soldiers was removed from the tunnel, a tally was taken. When all the prisoners were accounted for, Mrs. Lanier was to spring from the tunnel and capture a Union officer with the old pistol. Mrs. Lanier succeeded in surprising the officer, but he slapped the pistol from her hand. The pistol went off and the bullet struck and killed her husband. As punishment for her deeds, Mrs. Lanier was condemned to death by hanging. Her final request was to be given female clothing, and a search of the fort produced nothing but some old black robes. She was executed in these robes and buried on George’s Island.”

So if you dare to explore the Fort Warren keep your eyes and ears open you never know what may be waiting for you…

Sometimes in paranormal investigating, the use of trigger objects are thought to be useful. A trigger object is an object either owned by the deceased person in question or something of their time period. The theory is that it may illicit activity, communication or perhaps the trigger object may move. It is also referred to as the Singapore Theory. The theory is based on familiarization and if the spirits occupying the location are familiar with the object or music, etc – they will be more drawn to it and possibly become more “active”. The ultimate goal is that this process is so effective and stimulating – that the end result is an apparition.

We have brought an orange to an old Colonial house in Coventry CT both because the homeowners thought an orange they had in the house kept showing up in odd places and because an orange was a rarity, like a gift, back in the Colonial times.

We have used a family Bible, a toy ball, stuffed animals, an old Sanitarium bedsheet, we have played various period music, and tried many experiments using many trigger objects.

There are many ghost hunting techniques out there and we use a multitude of approaches custom-fit to each and every investigation.

Objects already found on the location of the paranormal investigation which the homeowner’s state have already moved on their own are ideal trigger objects. Of course there is no guarantee, but it is one of the best situations to test the theory. Also ideal is if the object belonged to, or held some significance to the spirit when alive.

It is often thought that getting the personal item of the spirit that has been known to move in the past is the goal. Don’t limit yourself to just that. There may be other personal items on-site that belonged to the spirit when alive: jewelry, coins, clothes, books, furniture, toys (avoid battery, activated or computer chip toys that can react on their own and be incorrectly thought to react because of a spirit), photos, religious items, war memorabilia, etc. Some theorize that metal objects (coins, jewelry etc) may store and conduct energy. I have never run across this – but there are many stories of movement of human vices like tobacco, drinks, cigars, pipes.

No one knows if the spirits are a residual haunting (they don’t know you are there, but they or their energy are caught in time) or if they are intelligent (they know you are there and can communicate).

When using trigger objects keep in mind the environment. Is it somewhere sturdy? Will it get bumped? Is the floor slanted so the ball will roll? Is there an open window, an air vent or draft? Put the trigger object on a piece of paper and draw an outline around it and videotape the entire process. You may think something moved but it hasn’t or maybe the homeowner’s unsocial pet bumped it while you were out of the room. We’ve used devices that detect a floor’s vibration to rule out various situations (nearby trains, construction, etc) that may cause slight movement.

There are many theories and they are largely operating on hypothetical principles about what “ghosts” are and how they can operate in our physical realm. Whatever the case, all we can do is try to illicit activity in as controlled environment as possible and as scientifically as possible. Happy hunting and let me know what types of trigger objects you have used and what happened! I’d love to hear about it.

Unlike many other investigations we have done, the Wayside Inn is a prime location for experimentation with new equipment and an excellent resource for authentic tangible, and fairly reliable activity. The target rooms in the facility (9 & 10) have all of the elements of a good investigation destination, privacy, history and countless experiences documented in thousands of letters hidden in the room by the numerous guests throughout the years (Thanks to the Secret Drawer Society). I have investigated this exciting location at least 6 times prior and the vast majority of my visits have produced what I feel are fairly un-explainable experiences that keep me coming back for more.

The Inn, which dates back to 1716, is believed to be the haunted stomping ground of several dis-incarnate beings. Not the least of which is the enchanting Jerusha Howe, “the Belle of Sudbury”, the eldest sibling of one of the Inn’s original owners and the prime target of our in-depth investigation.

It should be noted that both my team and I do not yet hold a firm belief that the experiences had at the Inn over the years are the result of “intelligent” interaction. Such a concept in this field of research has yet to be proven to our satisfaction and until such a time that gathered evidence supports the claim of “intelligence” by repeated and demonstrable experiences, our research will focus on the elements that can be tangibly analyzed in the hopes of uncovering the statistical, environmental and / or physical makeup of the activity at hand.

Evidence History

My first experience at the Inn was shared with 10 other individuals (many of whom are current members of our team). During an investigation of Room 9 a very clear and apparent knock was heard on the room door. 11 individuals turned to look at the door and within seconds of the knock the door was opened and no one was there. The stairway outside the door is very steep and very creaky. It was very unlikely that anyone could have knocked on that door and escaped down the stairs while going unnoticed. Everyone in the room that day concurred.

On July 26th 2011, I recorded nearly 20 minutes of random piano playing at 4:10 AM. The piano, while faint, was heard audibly. Knowing that Jerusha’s piano still existed in the Inn, I went downstairs to the museum to have a look. The 19th century piano was not only unoccupied, but sealed up and behind glass. It should be noted that the piano music did not emanate from the museum room. In fact, the piano music faded the further away from Rm 9 I got. The next morning I confirmed with the front desk that the piano I saw in the museum was the only piano in the Inn, and other guests claimed to have heard the piano as well. Our sample below is noisy due to a faulty audio recorder. But the piano is clearly heard.

THE SHADOW –

These videos represent some of the finest visual evidence we’ve seen. Para~Boston Investigator Jonathan Smith reserved room 9 at the Wayside Inn in Sudbury, MA. Claims from other Inn residents stated that the spirit of Jerusha tends to bother male occupants while they sleep, and many times people have seen shadows moving in the corner of the room. This video captures just that. To the right of the bed you will see a faint shadow leave the floor and fly upward. This was not caused by any external means and we deem this video to be 100% authentic.

Equipment Developed For This Investigation

For this investigation, we have decided to try a new piece of equipment that I have created for capturing both EVP’s and Electro-Magnetic fields simultaneously. The scientific principles employed in this “microphone” have been used in this field before, both intentionally and accidentally. This device functions on the principle of magnetic induction, the same way a traditional dynamic microphone works, however there are slight alterations in this particular device that make it unique. In addition to two large copper plates creating a tune-able condenser element, combinations of multiple coils tuned for specific frequency ranges using different winding amounts and wire gauges are select-able via a switching system that is used in conjunction with a 153 lb neodymium magnet for increased sensitivity. It should be noted that this microphone has NO diaphragm and is incapable of recording standard audio.

Two of these devices (each tuned differently and on separate axis) will be used on site and record to two 24bit recording devices. Because of their design they will not only capture EVP without the intrusive background audio, but they will serve as a very sensitive EMF meter that will display full spectrum analysis of any stray EMF field in the area allowing us to discern between different EMF fields and rule out any “man-made” sources.

Another experiment to be performed here involves the reactions and sensitivity of plant life during paranormal activity. The principles behind this experiment were first made popular by Cleve Baxter during the 1970’s. Baxter claimed that all living things are linked and therefore even plants can show fear and anticipation of other living beings in the room. To my knowledge, however, these ideas were never applied to paranormal research until now. To conduct this experiment I needed to create a skin galvanization meter that could record data for the entire night. A picture of the device I created is to the left. This meters probes will be clipped to a plant’s leaf and 240 samples per second of the leafs conductivity will be recorded. If the plant reacts to the environment (as Baxter claims) the plant’s conductivity (or Galvanization) will increase and show a reading on the meter. Will it work? Time will tell.

The Investigation…

Because numerous claims from previous occupants of the room seem to mention that the activity often centers around male guests, we have elected a volunteer to stay in the room overnight while our equipment records any potential activity.

Our team arrived at the Inn in the early afternoon hours of May 26th and proceeded to set up our equipment. Video cameras were strategically placed to cover all angles of the room, and in addition to our DVR night vision camera set, we employed one professional Panasonic AG100X which would be focused primarily on the bed and wall where the shadows previously appeared. Ultimately our goal was to mimic the camera angle of the “shadow figure” video shown above. Also, in hopes of having similar results, we decided to leave the lights on just as they were in the original evidence video.

A high powered shotgun microphone was employed to capture even the smallest audible sounds in the room. This was done to create a suitable reference track should we need to correlate any of the camera footage. The microphone may also prove useful should the piano music manifest again.

On the dresser we placed a house plant and tablet that were both hooked to the galvanization meter. Tests were performed and the meter was properly calibrated for the evening ahead. Additionally the two EMVP coils were placed on a single microphone stand approximately 4 feet high. The coils were positioned to cover two primary axis (Z and X) and the output was connected to a high quality audio recorder set to record .wav files at a 48K sample rate (the highest quality setting available). The recorders had enough memory and battery life to record continuously for 36 hours (although we wouldn’t need that much space).

All of the cameras in the room (8 in total) were wired back to room 10 and plugged into the DVR system. Recording began immediately. The majority of team left the Inn around 8:30 PM, with the exception of myself and our test subject Jason. I would occupy room 10 and monitor the equipment and Jason would occupy the target room (9). It should be noted that Jason has not had any previous paranormal investigation experience.

During the night I noticed no strange activity first hand, but Jason, in room 9, had an unusual experience as soon as the evening began. When returning to his room and preparing to settle in for the night, he noticed the sound of water coming from the bathroom. Upon opening the door, he noticed the water had been running — the faucet was fully open. Assuming that one of the members of the team left it on before leaving the Inn, he simply shut it off and went to bed.

The next morning, Jason informed me of the water experience and demonstrated what he saw. During our evidence review, we carefully examined the video to see who the last person was to enter the bathroom. It was Jason. Of course it would seem that Jason simply left the water on himself, but the audio from the high-powered microphone tells another story. As you will see below, Jason first used the bathroom at 7:51 PM and exited the bathroom at 7:52 PM. During the moments he had the door open (average 10 seconds each) running water was not heard on the microphone. However, when he re-entered the bathroom at 8:42 — the running water is clearly heard. See this and additional evidence below:

THE WATER –

First time entering the bathroom – Water Off

First time exiting the bathroom – Water Off

Second time entering the bathroom – Water On

Second time exiting the bathroom – Water Off

The following is an analysis of the audio captured of the bathroom that evening. The first time Jason enters the bathroom running water is not shown. However in the second graph the running water can clearly be seen at 2Khz.

Audio Spectrograph showing the sound of running water is NOT present.

Audio Spectrograph showing the sound of running water IS present.

THE CRY –

At 3:45 AM the EMVP Wand captured an evidence sample. The image (below) shows a spectro-graph of the EMVP output during that time. The dark purple area represents the hiss noise from the audio recorder and the light pink areas represent complex waves of EMF that can be audibly heard in the recording (i.e. an EVP). The recording is what appears to be a woman crying – and quite aggressively. The sound is faint mainly due to the EMVP wand design and the source distance from the wand. But the definition is clear. (You will need headphones to hear this sample.) Because of the extremely low noise of this design, and the absence of recorded audio, this sample was identified. Traditional audio samples such as the ones above contain far too much background noise to identify recordings of this nature. From this experiment we now have sufficient data to effectively redesign the EMVP device and specifically target the frequencies and components needed to capture this vocal phenomena in a greater, more defined volume.

Anyone who has ever stayed at the Wayside Inn knows about “The Secret Drawer Society”. Over the past four decades, visitors to the Inn have left notes describing their experience at the Inn. Out of the 3000+ letters we found (and yes we went through them all) most seem to be about personal events such as weddings and anniversaries spent at the Inn. But there were nearly 200 of them that mentioned paranormal experiences at the Inn. That was evidence we just had to have, so over the course of a couple nights spent at the Inn, we read and scanned every paranormal letter we could find and put them in a database (Link Below). What surprised us about these letters is that we read testimony from people all the way back to the 80’s describing paranormal experiences which support the evidence we captured nearly 30 years later! For example, in spite of our extensive research before going into the Inn, we were unaware about the claims of the water faucets in the bathroom turning on. The letters were an excellent confirmation of our evidence because we captured it and then learned about the claims. That is a very difficult thing to do in this day and age.

The letters that you will find here are in the process of being transcribed for easy reading and searching. It is our hope gather very important statistics from the letters to aid in our research.

Historical places have always been intriguing and battlefields have set the stage for this country’s freedom. So having an opportunity to investigate Lexington’s Battle Road I was excited. Walking the paths the patriots marched, the history was palpable to me! My experience on Battle Road by Hartwell’s Tavern just down from the infamous Bloody Angle still baffles me.

I just finished using the restroom (nature calls lol) and began walking back to the group of people I was with. I had to stop and remove a pebble from my sandal. After removing the stone, I stood up and started walking again, and from behind me on my left side, I saw a hand reaching over my shoulder. I clearly saw a palm and the thumb come back at my face, as if to brush a bug (or spider, I hate spiders) away from me. I turned and looked back, thinking it was my husband, and no one was behind me…..momentarily startled, what just happened? I still question just what I saw?

Interestingly, about 15 minutes later I captured a picture that appears to have an anomaly, perhaps a soldier on horseback with a tri-corner hat, crossing the path in front of me? Check it out.

What do you think?
I still believe there is more to discover in Lexington, the Birthplace of our Nation and I cannot wait to go back again!

We haven’t done a formal investigation of Alcatraz, but I did have an experience there. We were in San Francisco on our Honeymoon and staring at us every time we looked out into the bay was “The Rock “. It’s always been an intriguing place, with history that spans a period from before California was a state with the Native Americans to the Civil War to the infamous prison that housed the likes of Al Capone, Robert Stroud(The Bird Man), Frank Morris, John Anglin, his brother Clarence Anglin (the three that escaped)and George Celio Barnes (Machine Gun Kelly).

So we booked a trip over and spent the day traipsing around the grounds. My experience happened while we were taking the walking tour of the cell block. It was one of those self guided tours that you listened to through head phones and it would guide you to different spots and tell interesting information and history. We had just left the barber shop and were headed to the next stop on the tour. Just as the recording was about to start up I heard a raspy, loud, and distinct voice say “Hey” in my left ear. I looked around thinking it was my husband but he was still in the barber shop and I was alone.

If you get chance to go, I highly recommend a trip to Alcatraz, but make your reservations well in advance, its on a lot of people’s bucket list.

Since 1729, when it was built as a Puritan meeting house, Old South Meeting House has played an important role in American history. It was on this site that the Judge Samuel Sewall publically apologized for his role in the Salem Witch Trials. It was on this site that Benjamin Franklin was baptized. It was on this site that slave and poet Phillis Wheatley explored the meaning of liberty.

In the years leading to the American Revolution, thousands of colonists gathered at Old South Meeting House to challenge British rule, most famously to protest the Boston Massacre and the tea tax. The largest building in colonial Boston, Old South Meeting House was the stage for an overflow meeting on December 16, 1773, which adjourned to Griffin’s Wharf for the infamous event that would become known as the Boston Tea Party.

The Everett Sq. Theater (now under renovations) in Hyde Park, Massachusetts is one of the oldest theaters in Boston. In it’s hay day it was host to a wide variety of entertainment featuring some legendary performers and stars such as The Three Stooges (my favorite), Charley Chaplin, Mary Pickford and many others. Throughout the years, like many theaters, there have been claims of moving shadows and voices heard in what should be an empty building. Prior to our team, there has never been a paranormal investigation conducted in this location.

Because unexplored locations present possible opportunities, our team was anxious to discover this awesome and unfortunately decaying behemoth. Hints of the the once grand nature of the auditorium could still be seen through the peeling paint and rotting walls. The only impression anyone in our line could have is that this place is simply awesome.

During our investigation we employed some methods of triggering in the hopes to stir up some old energy. We stood in what was once the seating area and played period music (such as piano rags) with an abrupt applause following each “performance”. The music was broadcast in both audio and electromagnetic fields. This was done to cover all ranges of what might be a receptive listening spectrum.

Sadly we didn’t get any visual bows to our rousing applause and approval, but we did leave with a piece of evidence that still has us scratching our heads. We placed recorders in the projection room and monitored the entrance to that room with cameras.

Later on when our evidence was reviewed we heard movement and breathing in a room that contained no living individuals. Did we capture the remnants of the days gone by? Or did we capture the sounds of a dedicated projectionist still waiting for the 8:00 showing? Perhaps it was a dimensional crossover? Sadly we currently have no way of knowing. But one thing is for sure, the evidence was certainly unexplained.

The Warren Tavern is the oldest tavern in Massachusetts and one of the most historic watering holes in America. The Warren Tavern was founded in 1780 in Charlestown, MA and still stands in that block of land today. In the early years of the Warren Tavern it was frequented by many national heroes such as Paul Revere, Ben Franklin and George Washington.

When we were asked to investigate this amazing place our imaginations ran wild with the thoughts of all of the history making discussions that must have been had by heroes and legends over a pint of frothy beer. It staggers the mind!

The claims of activity at this place were what would be expected. Disembodied footsteps, apparitions of old patrons and the uneasy feelings that go along with being in the cellar.

The first thought I had when entering this place was that there must be a ton of misinterpretations. The floor boards creaked when the wind blew and the classic tavern design of the place certainly entertained the idea that some old drunkards must still be lingering in the corners. Shadows were plentiful here, but sadly, not the moving kind.

After setting up our equipment for the night we all found a place to sit and hunkered down waiting for any signs of activity. The apparitions were said to appear at a certain table and were only visible in the mirror behind the bar. Unusual, but with that in mind we were careful to play by the guidelines. A set of eyes and and a camera gazing endlessly into the mirror.

While we did feel some unusual heaviness in the basement (Which could be due to wiring, cluttered feel, and the low ceilings), the investigation as a whole was a bust. But the charming nature of the staff and tasty refreshment of the “other kind of spirits” make this a place I would be more than happy to return to.

Eastern State Penitentiary, one of America’s scariest prisons, lies in the heart of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Opening in 1829, inmates not only faced punishment in solitary confinement, but spiritual enlightenment as a way to repent for their crimes. The most famous inmate of all was none other than Al Capone who’s cell is recreated today. After falling into a state of disrepair, the prison was closed in 1971. Today, one can travel to Philadelphia for both guided and self-guided tours of this massive, haunting structure.

This site has been a featured investigation on many paranormal shows and has become a popular destination to investigators.

On May 15, 2011, it was our turn. We made our way to the site earlier in the afternoon and were able to roam the grounds free of charge to get a lay of the land. The helpful staff even told us there were areas that normal tours never went in. We returned that evening setting up our DVR system in the Rotunda with cameras pointing into each cell block. We proceeded to break up into two teams of three along with a tour guide to explore the grounds that already had a creepy look in broad daylight, but looked much more ominous at night. We spent the next few hours investigating with much passion and enjoyment. Unfortunately, aside from bats flying around, there was no activity to report. It’s a great bucket list location for any investigator.